Other "Vistas" take a wary look at their new namesake

While Microsoft's marketing team was
hooting and hollering on stage in Atlanta as they
announced that Longhorn's official name would be Windows Vista, at least one person was stewing back in Redmond.
No, Ballmer wasn't peeved that they lost his invite to the Atlanta shindig; the title of crankiest man in
Washington State was officially awarded to John Wall, head of Redmond-based tech services company Vista, Inc.
Wall's company owns a trademark on the name "Vista," and he's now considering his options, which could include
taking his neighbor to court — though he'd like to at least chew the fat over the back fence first. "We're going
to consider our options and talk to them," he told the Seattle Times. Wall isn't alone. Among the companies that
could be affected by the new name are La Jolla, California, based Vista Software, and Warren, Ohio's Vista Window
Co., which makes, you guessed it, Windows. Somehow we suspect that, if any of these companies make a run at
Microsoft, they're going to face a reaction that makes Apple's successful defense of the Tiger brand against
Tiger Direct look meek by comparison. It's Windows
Vista, now and forever (or at least until Blackcomb comes out). Get used to it.

[Via Slashdot]